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CELEBRATING THE GLORIOUS TWELFTH....WELCOME TO THE ' REAL' FOREST OF BOWLAND

Friday, 21 May 2010

Greet'ings.

Well today's totally unconnected pic of the Snipe is one of Brian Rafferty's who is certainly connected because he met up and accompanied me during the greater part of my 4.5 hours in the Cross of Greet/White Greet/Bloe Greet area today which ended with very mixed feelings in that 4.5 hours anywhere for me and not finding a particular species means its definitely not there. So,void of further comment no Stonechats seen here today, but an excellent record collected was the double figure of 10 Whinchat. Also of note here was a Cuckoo, the notable low count of just 7 Wheatear, at least 30 Meadow Pipit, 3 Raven, a Buzzard, only 2 Wren heard, single male Reed Bunting, and at least one adult Grey Wagtail was feeding two recently fledged young on the equally young River Hodder.

With the direct permission of the owner we were able to visit a private woodland later in the day where things were very quiet, but it's not really all that easy to make such a comment when a singing male PiedFlycatcher and male Redstart with another in song were seen, also 2 Treecreeper one of which was feeding young at a nest hole. I find it difficult to believe that - apart from a 'few white's' - I recorded just one butterfly in my entire seven hours today which was that of an Orange Tip.

And finally....

Well how's this for ending with a smart image of a smart bird. This is the 'Audubon's' Yellow-rumped Warbler thanks once again to Paul Baker in BC Canada.

And Stocks Reservoir does it again with a Temmink's Stint found there this evening to follow on closely from the Spotted Sandpiper earlier in the week.

An interesting question re Skylark Phil. I actually heard two on the way up here today and my post should have recorded them but didn't. I've also heard/seen no more than two birds on recent circuits of Cockersands for example, but time - and records - will tell.

You can take me to Menorca next year but not sure you'd like that Phil....Erhum!!